PODCAST · music
Unsung Podcast
by Unsung Podcast
If there was a definitive discography of classic albums, what should be in it? Hosts Mark Fraser and Chris Cusack, plus the occasional guest, discuss and dissect perceived classic albums to decide which albums would make this list. We also interview amazing artists, do genre deep dives and throw a journalistic lens on musical topics you might not know much about.
Episodes
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The Chaotic Good, Bad and The Ugly - Understanding The Worst of Music Marketing
Most businesses require marketing in order to generate sales and, ultimately, success. We’re all aware of this: our feeds are flooded with ads on a daily basis because, when we really get down to it, all platforms are an ad business first and foremost. This means that when you’re an artist trying...
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Is One Minute Science by Sunna an Unsung Classic, or Has It Been Banished to the Mists of Time for a Reason?
For about 8 and a half years, our former (and beloved) co-host Dave had been mulling over doing this album. Then one day, out of the blue, he messaged us: I'm coming in I want to talk about One Minute Science by Sunna. In another timeline, we'd have gotten this out of the way a long time ago.…
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Exploring the Magickal History of Coil (Part 2) w/ P6 from OMO, Desalvo, Stretchheads and Security
Last time we admitted defeat in our attempts try to summarise a fifty-plus album discography. This time our play P6 turns up with an actual diagram (which you can see right here) and we spend an hour and a half trying to work out whether that's a genuinely useful map or just a very elegant way of...
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Exploring the Magickal History of Coil (Part 1) w/ P6 from OMO, Desalvo, Stretchheads and Security
Coil have a reputation for being genuinely difficult: ritualistic, transgressive, the kind of band you approach the way you'd approach a locked door marked "occult correspondence, keep out." So it's a bit disarming that this episode opens with hand-written Christmas cards from Jhonn Balance and...
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What Does the Explosive Reaction to King Tut's and DF Concerts Tell Us About the Growing Sense of Injustice in Grassroots Music?
If you've been tuned into the news around the Scottish grassroots music scene at any point in the last few weeks, you'll likely have seen there's been a bit of controversy brewing around King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and their owners, DF Concerts. Following a piece published in The Bell…
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IN SESSION: Jonzip from The Zips Talks About the Life and Times of Being in Glasgow's First(ish) Punk Band
This week we sit down with Jon Zipp of The Zips — one of Glasgow's original 1977 punk bands — for a conversation that doubles as an oral history of Scottish punk. The Zips' story is a strange and charming one. Formed in '77, gigging by '78, split by the end of 1980 after two small-run EPs — 500...
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FROM THE VAULT: Split 7" - Our Perfect Festival Line Ups
We reach into the vault this week to extra an old bonus episode that has a fairly unique format we liked to called the Split 7". In this episode, we talk build our own festival line ups. ORIGINAL SHOW NOTE We’re going to be 4 years old soon and for pretty much every single week of those 4 years...
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IN SESSION: Mark Davyd from the Music Venue Trust Talks About How PRS for Music Refuse to Show Artists The Money
In this interview, Mark Davyd, founder and CEO of Music Venue Trust, mentions the "famous" and famously misattributed Hunter S. Thompson quote about the music industry. It goes "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and…
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IN SESSION: An Interview with the Lord of the Logos, Christophe Szpajdel
You might think you don't know Christophe Szpajdel's work. You almost certainly do. The Emperor logo. The Metallica Mankind clip. The Rihanna lettering that went a hundred feet high at the MTV VMAs. If you've spent any time near heavy music, his hand has been on things you've stared at without...
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Are Cabaret Voltaire Britain's Most Pioneering Electronic Act? (Side B) with P6 from Stretchheads, Desalvo and OMO
In our previous episode, we went deep into the history of Cabaret Voltaire and their importance to UK industrial and, latterly, dance music. Now, we follow the trail we laid therein by taking a journey through the band's extensive discography, really fleshing out how they went from a Sheffield...
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Are Cabaret Voltaire Britain's Most Pioneering Electronic Act? (Side A) with P6 from Stretchheads, Desalvo and OMO
Cabaret Voltaire are no one thing. Depending on which corner of the internet you found us from, you might know them as the caustic Sheffield noise act who preceded post-punk, the sinister electro-industrial outfit with a penchant for evangelical samples and anti-fascist agitprop, or the...
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Did Hollywood Kill Jóhann Jóhannsson?
We don't often cover classical or neoclassical music, as it’s a wee bit out of our wheelhouse. But that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy it—often, our entry into that world is via film soundtracks. Jóhann Jóhannsson is a perfect example, having scored some of the most iconic films of the last 20…
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Rock and Roll Killing Machine by Drowningman
This week, we're talking about two things we think are quite interesting. First off, we chat about the early mathcore/metalcore band Drowningman and reflect on why they never quite reached the heights of their peers, such as Converge and The Dillinger Escape Plan—bands they often found themselves...
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FROM THE VAULT: Corollaries by Lubomyr Melnyk
This week's episode is another FROM THE VAULT as we travel back to one of our (sadly) many episodes that were recorded during the pandemic. This one is actually a condensing of two episodes on the weird/genius/odd/interesting music, and personality, of pianist Lubomyr Melnyk. Enjoy! Chris has…
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FROM THE VAULT: Never Better by P.O.S
THIS WEEK ON FROM THE VAULT we revisit episode 25 and our dive into Never Better by P.O.S. It's a great example of what this podcast does best, and we hope you dig this episode if you haven't heard it before. In the intro Mark talks a little about what's happened to P.O.S since too, specifically...
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The Band That Made One Album About the End of the World (Then Disappeared)
You may be shocked to hear that Lift to Experience made one album. One. A ninety-minute double CD concept record about the apocalypse, set entirely in Texas, written by three boys from Pentecostal and Baptist backgrounds who genuinely believed they had something to say to God. And then, more or...
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FROM THE VAULT: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
This week we're throwing back to June 2018, when this pod was only six months old. Things were simpler - the research was less onerous, episodes were shorter (this would easily be a two parter these days), Dave was still part of the crew and the world wasn't ending... Godspeed You! Black Emperor...
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When Artists Aren't What They Seem - Ghost Bath Musical Catfishing and Hoax Bands - 380
You may be shocked to hear that musicians sometimes lie about who they are. Some may say this is not shocking at all - it's almost a tradition. But there's a meaningful difference between Ziggy Stardust and a band from North Dakota claiming to be a Chinese black metal act to game the press. In…
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FROM THE VAULT: ПАСХА (Paskha) by Shortparis w/ Rebecca Yurivna
WELCOME BACK TO FROM THE VAULT. That's right, on our off weeks we'll be pulling an episode from our extensive vault that we love and we think is somewhat relevant to goings on in the modern era. And our latest episode is about Pashka by Shortparis. An episode which has been through into sharp...
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Is Insomniac by Green Day an Unsung Classic? (Side B) w/ Rick Bruce from Coffin Mulch/Moondshine Docs - 379
You may be shocked to hear that Green Day have a lot of songs. Some may say, in fact, that they have too MANY songs, because there does come a point where they all just blend into on another. In this episode we explore this phenomenon, and it is exclusively (in our view) an issue that plagues the...
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Is Insomniac by Green Day an Unsung Classic? (Side A) - 378
Could it be done? Is it possible to call anything Green Day have ever released both unsung AND (crucially, because there's a fair bit of 'meh' in their catalogue) good? Well folks, this week and next we're going to do our very best to find out. And we're joined by our good friend Rick Bruce from...
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IN SESSION: Stewart Home - Musician, Author, Artist and Punk
This week we've got a really fascinating chat with Stewart Home. Originally a punk in London in the early days of the movement, he's since forged a career as a musician, author and visual artist. In this interview we talk at length about his early days as a punk in London in the late 70s and…
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The Unsung Best of 2025
Ah yes, the gooch of the year. Or the barse if you're so inclined (or perineum if you want to keep it medical). Long time fans will know that every Xmas we usually have a massive blow out where we answer fan questions. Well, we did that this year too! Part one is available to our Patreon...
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IN SESSION: Anthony Sahyoun from SANAM
This week, we're joined by Anthony Sahyoun, member of the Lebanese experimental band SANAM, for a conversation that extends far beyond music. Recorded just before the band's autumn European tour, we explore their unique sound—a compelling blend of Arabic traditional forms, post-rock, noise, and...
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The Life and Times of Charles Bradley - 377
Charles Bradley’s cover of Black Sabbath’s Changes is one that both hosts of this podcast believe could well be the definitive version of the song. And we say that having done three episodes on Black Sabbath — an odyssey that gave us both a newfound appreciation for one of, if not the, most...
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The Dark Side of David Bowie and 1970s Groupie Culture - 376
Bowie fans have long found ways to make peace with some of the more unsavoury aspects of his character and behaviour during that decade. His Thin White Duke persona highlights what, by his own admission, were “the darkest days” of his life. And while he was quick to distance himself from that...
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Is The Warrior by Scandal a True Unsung Classic? - 375
We're back after a fairly shambolic three weeks in our lives (redundancy sure does suck) with this slice of fried gold from the 1980s. You've almost certainly heard the lead single from this record. In fact, the question as to who the singer is of the song "The Warrior" has quite likely come up…
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The Spotify Techsodus - Should Artists Really Be Leaving the World's Biggest Streaming Platform? - 374
This week we're diving into why bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and King Gizzard are pulling their music from Spotify - and why it probably won't change anything. It's a trickier situation than it seems, but the whole mess starts with Napster in 1999. 80 million people sharing MP3s…
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The Mystery of Q Lazzarus - 373
As stated at numerous points in this episode, a lot of the things discussed here can be found in the documentary Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus. We urge you to go check out that film here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/qlazzarus as it is a brilliant piece of work. For long time pod…
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Is Hulk Hogan's Entrance Music the Best Wrestling Theme Ever? - 372
Everyone knows Hulk Hogan's entrance music, but how many know the fascinating story behind Rick Derringer's "Real American"? With the recent passing of Hulk Hogan, we thought we’d revisit a previous episode and update it with new information. Oh, and also to film the whole dang thing as we…
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So What's the Deal With Phil Anselmo? - 371
Like us, are you somewhat uncomfortable of about Pantera playing with Metallica? Why exactly might that be? We need to explore what it is about Phil Anselmo that gives people that icky feeling. This week we try to put some meat on the bones about the rumours that have dogged Anselmo for the last...
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The Velvet Sundown: The AI Band Controversy Explained - What Happened and What's Next - 370
You may have seen the AI band The Velvet Sundown pop up in the news recently and thought "well, that's weird". Long-time fans of the pod probably also thought "when are they going to do an episode on that?" Well, here it is! The Velvet Sundown - What Actually Happened? If you've been following us...
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Why Do US Maple Sound Like That? w/ Ferruccio Quercetti from CUT - 369
This week we're talking about US Maple. Which is a bit like saying we're talking about having your teeth drilled without anaesthetic. The Chicago quartet spent twelve years making music that deliberately disappointed every expectation you might have about rock music. They took guitars, drums, and...
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No Wave: The Nihilistic New York Movement That Influenced 40 Years of Music - 368
This week we're diving headfirst into the gloriously pretentious world of No Wave - the three-year New York art scene that somehow managed to influence everything that followed. Chris has somehow convinced Mark and our resident Italian punk professor Ferro to explore how a bunch of art school...
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Anti-Rock: When Musicians Deliberately Break the Rules w/ Ferruccio Quercetti - 367
This week we're tackling the wonderfully niche concept of anti-rock. Or more specifically, we're trying to work out what the hell it actually is, why Google doesn't seem to know either, and how it connects to everything from Frank Zappa taking the piss out of The Beatles to bands who are so...
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Is Emma Ruth Rundle Gothic Rock? - 366
This week we're diving into the wonderfully gloomy world of Emma Ruth Rundle. Or more specifically, we're having a bit of a discussion whether she's actually goth or not, what goth even means, and how it may be broader than some think. Musically, Chris thinks most of her catalogue is a bit pants...
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When Vessels Traded in Their Guitars for Synthesisers for Their Third Album, Dilate- 365
This week we're talking about the Leeds band Vessels. Or more specifically we're talking about their quite abrupt change from identikit post rock band to something a lot more electronic and a lot more enticing. By their own admission, Vessels had something of a problem: the band had to evolve or...
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Kerrang! Hometaping Vol. 2: Refuse Music, Compiled by Casey Chaos - 364
This week Dave returns as we dive into our bag of covermount CDs and unearth a real gem. If you were buying Kerrang! in August 2002, you might remember issue 918 with The Prodigy on the cover. What you definitely remember is the cover-mount CD that came with it - Hometaping Volume Two, curated by...
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Revolutionary Vol. 2 by Immortal Technique w/ Joe from Go Down Fighting, Man Must Side, Shit You May Not Have Seen Podcast - 363
Joe from Shit You May Not Have Seen Podcast/the bands Go Down Fighting and Man Must Die, jois us this week. And his pick is somewhat controversial: Immortal Technique's second album second album Revolutionary Vol. 2. In true unsung style, it ends up leading to a massive debate about separating…
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Chinese Restaurant by Chrisma/Krisma - 362
On this episode we dive deep into the musical history of one of Italy's most fascinating and forward-thinking bands - Krisma (or Chrisma as they were originally known). This husband and wife duo from Milan created music that was light years ahead of its time, with their 1977 album "Chinese...
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In Session 12 - Arno Michaelis: Author, Anti-Extremism Activist and Former White Nationalist (Side B) - 361
In part two of our interview Arno Michaelis, we navigate the bizarre intersection of music, ideology, and redemption. If you've ever wondered how extremist movements actually work, this offers some great insight. Arno gives us the inside scoop on how a skinhead band like Centurion shifted 20,000...
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In Session 12 - Arno Michaelis: Author, Anti-Extremism Activist and Former White Nationalist (Side A) - 360
This week and next we're joined by a very special guest - Arno Michaelis, author, anti-extremism activist, reformed white nationalist and former singer of the neo-Nazi metal band Centurion. You may have seen Arno recently on YouTube where he did a rather brilliant interview with Business Insider....
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Otherness by Alexisonfire - 359
We've been a bit of a post-hardcore kick this year, so we thought we'd swing to the commercial end of the spectrum and talk about Alexisonfire. Specifically, Mark has chosen their 2022 comeback album 'Otherness' and we have a bit of a barney about it, as Chris and Mark's opinions on the band...
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The Bad Wife by Julie Christmas - 358
This week, we’re talking about Julie Christmas – a woman whose voice could peel paint off the walls one moment and tuck you into bed the next. Known for her work with Made Out of Babies, Battle of Mice, and her collaboration with Cult of Luna on Mariner, Julie’s debut solo album The Bad Wife is…
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The Best of Arvo Pärt - 357
This week, we’re going in the exact opposite direction as last week talking about one of the most quietly revolutionary figures in modern music: Arvo Pärt. That's right, we're pivoting HARD from death metal to neoclassical music. Strap in! We go deep on his early works, his religious conversion,...
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Whisper Supremacy by Cryptopsy w/ Joe McGlynn from Man Must Die and Go Down Fighting - 356
Once upon a time Man Must Die released two albums on Relapse Records and toured an absolute shit load. I actually remember when they toured with Machine Head, which is a fairly impressive thing for any metal band to achieve. Man Must Die were a death metal band, and in some quarters they were…
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Fishing for Luckies by The Wildhearts (Side B) - 355
We’re back with the final part of our exploration of The Wildhearts, one of rock’s most truly unpredictable and chaotic bands. If you thought last week’s episode covered all their madness, think again cause we've a TON more stories in this one. Including a pretty grizzly tattoo story, so consider...
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Fishing for Luckies by The Wildhearts (Side A) - 354
The Wildhearts could very well be one of the most chaotic, unpredictable, and underrated British rock bands ever. Ideal for unsung in a lot of ways, really. So this week and next, we'll we’re diving deep into their sound, history, and legacy. In this episode, we break down: Claims that they sound...
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The Fine Art of Original Sin by Ink & Dagger - 353
We love it when we get a chance to talk about very influential bands who are extremely overlooked. It is, after all, the whole reason this podcast exists. And there are few as influential, and overlooked, as Ink & Dagger. Their albums aren't even on Bandcamp, let alone streaming sites. That...
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Unsong: We Are the World by U.S.A. for Africa (Side B) - 352
Well, here we are again, back in the trenches of musical altruism, digging through the chaos and cocaine fumes of We Are the World. In our final part of this double header, we examine the actual recording process—a night filled with megastars, massive egos, and the creeping existential dread of…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
If there was a definitive discography of classic albums, what should be in it? Hosts Mark Fraser and Chris Cusack, plus the occasional guest, discuss and dissect perceived classic albums to decide which albums would make this list. We also interview amazing artists, do genre deep dives and throw a journalistic lens on musical topics you might not know much about.
HOSTED BY
Unsung Podcast
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Unsung Podcast have?
Unsung Podcast currently has 461 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Unsung Podcast about?
If there was a definitive discography of classic albums, what should be in it? Hosts Mark Fraser and Chris Cusack, plus the occasional guest, discuss and dissect perceived classic albums to decide which albums would make this list. We also interview amazing artists, do genre deep dives and throw a...
How often does Unsung Podcast release new episodes?
Unsung Podcast publishes regularly with 461 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Unsung Podcast?
You can listen to Unsung Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Unsung Podcast?
Unsung Podcast is created and hosted by Unsung Podcast.
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